Compassionate inquiry

What is compassionate inqury?
Compassionate Inquiry (CI) is a therapeutic trauma healing approach developed by Canadian physician Dr. Gabor Mate and Kundalini Yoga teacher Sat Dharam Kaur.
Compassionate Inquiry involves working with one’s body, emotions, thoughts and beliefs. It is a client-centred approach, in which the client is the leader and has the answers within himself. The therapist is a clean mirror, reflecting the essence of the client and guiding the session when necessary. The therapist enters the session without trying to fix or deny the client’s experiences. The approach is based on compassion, respect, acceptance, insight, healing, freedom and connection with humanity.
Gabor Mate describes it this way: “The purpose of the Compassionate Inquiry is to drill down to the core stories people tell themselves – to get them to see what story they are telling themselves unconsciously; what those beliefs are, where they came from; and guide them to the possibility of letting go of those stories, or letting go of the hold those stories have on them”
The approach aims to help us see that our beliefs, reactions and much of our emotions are imprints of our unintegrated past. Step by step, we begin to see the unconscious dynamics that govern our lives, and therefore we have the opportunity to give a new response (to develop response-ability).
CI also focuses on the influence of unintegrated emotions and chronic stress on our body and physical health. Because of this during the sessions, we focus on the connection with the body, physical sensations and emotions. By giving them the attention they need and experiencing them, you gain more awareness of the root cause and thus healing can start occuring.
Through CI we can work on many spheres and levels, some of them include:
- Addictions
- Trauma healing
- Emotional regulation
- Expressing anger in a healthy way
- Creating authentic and meaningful relationships
- Self-exploration and growth
- Coping with stress, chronic pain and illness
- Developing self-compassion
- Spiritual exploration
- Developing creativity
- Knowing and taking care of our authentic needs
- Finding the freedom to be ourselves
Silvana completed a year of Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training in October 2023 and is currently working under supervision for certification as a Compassionate Inquiry Therapist. If you are curious about the approach and whether it could be helpful for you, you can book a free session with Silvana.